He said the growth under the UPA government was higher than that of the NDA and it was a record for a decade.

AFP

Trashing opposition charges of government's failure on the economic front, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday asserted that the country has achieved rapid economic development during the UPA rule.

He said the growth under the UPA government was higher than that of the NDA and it was a record for a decade.

"Opposition parties which question our government should first look at our achievements. BJP claims that the UPA government failed on the economic front but BJP leaders should look at our government's achievements," he said while highlighting some of them at an election rally here.

"The country's economic development in the last nine years is a record for a decade. Poverty level has fallen in the country and the state of Rajasthan has left behind many states in poverty alleviation. People's income in rural areas increased and it is the result of our policies that youths are getting new job opportunities.

"Heath services in rural areas improved because of NRHM. 3.40 crore families have been benefited with national health insurance scheme," he said.

"Poverty has decreased three fold. Polio has been eradicated. Almost all children are now getting primary education due to Right to Education and 11 crore school children are being served midday meal daily," he said.

Singh highlighted that several new prestigious institutions like IIT and IIM had been opened and the number of students in higher education institutions doubled during the last nine years.

In Rajasthan also, one IIT and one IIM was opened, he said.

For agriculture sector, he said, the government took several initiatives and increased MSP to provided reasonable price for crops. The country has adequate storage of grains, he said, adding that MGNREGA has provided job opportunities to over 8 crore people in rural areas.